Every winner of the 100m since the inaugural event in 1983 has been black, as has every finalist from the last 10 championships with the solitary exception of Matic Osovnikar of Slovenia, who finished seventh in 2007.

Is it wrong to note 100m winners are always black?

Seen in this context, the notion that black people are naturally superior distance runners seems bizarre. Far from being a "black" phenomenon, or even a Kenyan phenomenon, distance running is actually a Nandi phenomenon. Or, to put it another way, "black" distance running success is focused on the tiniest of pinpricks on the map of Africa, with the vast majority of the continent underrepresented.

thoughts, pit?

Click here to hear my BOB DYLAN (Blowing in the Wind) out right now May 2k17

They are black. They won the race. What's wrong? Would it be wrong to say everyone who won since 1983 was American? Or Blonde? Or exactly 6'2"? Why is it just because the thing they all have in common is skin colour, it's wrong to mention it?

They are black. They won the race. What's wrong? Would it be wrong to say everyone who won since 1983 was American? Or Blonde? Or exactly 6'2"? Why is it just because the thing they all have in common is skin colour, it's wrong to mention it?

they're saying it's in a moral grey area because pointing that out is just a continuation of the stereotype that black people are better athletes. there's no BBC news articles saying 'all 100m winners are x tall' because they go hand in hand. saying being black and being able to run fast being hand in hand is just continuing the stereotype.

Quote by CoreysMonster

What glorious times we live in where it's racist to call black people black.

EDIT: also, I thought it was scientifically proven that black people are better suited for sprinting because they naturally have better-developed twitch muscles?

at least that's what my old biology teacher told us.

i don't think it's calling them 'black' that makes it morally awkward, it's relating black to being a good athlete. i personally don't have much of a problem with it because it's probably true.

Click here to hear my BOB DYLAN (Blowing in the Wind) out right now May 2k17

Interesting point is that it because they are black that they win. Anthropologists and scientist have done studies as to why black people make better runners and white people make better swimmers and apparently it's all due to where your bellybutton is (!).

Seriously, it sounds ridiculous but, to quote: "It so happens that in the architecture of the human body of West African-origin runners, the center of gravity is significantly higher than in runners of European origin,” which puts them at an advantage in sprints on the track" and the bellybutton is directly correlational to the centre of gravity.

So to answer the question, no it's not 'wrong; to mention it, any more than it's 'wrong' to say all sprint swimmers seem to be white. It's not racist, its just genetic advantage.

I'd also like to point out that saying "Black people are better runners" doesn't mean that all black people are great at running, it just means that the biological potential is higher than other races. It's not a generalisation, it's biology.

I'd also like to point out that saying "Black people are better runners" doesn't mean that all black people are great at running, it just means that the biological potential is higher than other races. It's not a generalisation, it's biology.

that's not how it will be interpreted, though. that's how stereotypes start; small, individual facts about a stratum that gets blown out of proportion that is eventually seen by the less intelligent as a representation for the whole race/gender/age.

Click here to hear my BOB DYLAN (Blowing in the Wind) out right now May 2k17

The main point being made is that labelling black people as better sprinters just because they are black is a generalisation which isn't true because the majority of the successful black sprinters are from 1 or 2 countries with a well developed infrastructure for sports and athletics. Historically their ethnic background is west african which probably has made them better sprinters but that's just a small part of all "black people" and doesn't mean all black people are good at sprinting. It goes on to say that:

"There is far more genetic variation within racial groups (around 85%) than there is between racial groups (just 15%)."

But the thing that's most noticeable to the naked eye is the skin colour so therefore people say: "those people are better because they are black" because that's the first thing people notice.

that's not how it will be interpreted, though. that's how stereotypes start; small, individual facts about a stratum that gets blown out of proportion that is eventually seen by the less intelligent as a representation for the whole race/gender/age.

Racists will create there own stereotypes.

I don't think intention plays as big a part in determining wether or not something is 'racist' as it should.

OK I'm just going to jump in and clarify to everyone what this article is actually trying to say...

There is a difference between saying all the best runners are black and saying black people are the best runners.

The point is "black" is a massive blanket term. People class "black" as a single race. It is not. Africa is a MASSIVE continent. Have you any idea how much racial diversity there is across it? It's like saying "white people make great pizza" when you mean "Italians make great pizza".

Black isn't one racial group, it is a skin colour common to a massive massive number of people across Africa and the Carribean, and to an extent (depending on how you use the word) Southern/Central America, Australia, Arabia, India....

OK I'm just going to jump in and clarify to everyone what this article is actually trying to say...

There is a difference between saying all the best runners are black and saying black people are the best runners.

The point is "black" is a massive blanket term. People class "black" as a single race. It is not. Africa is a MASSIVE continent. Have you any idea how much racial diversity there is across it? It's like saying "white people make great pizza" when you mean "Italians make great pizza".

Do you now see the point the article is making?

All you white people look the same to me

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